


It's a Game of Give and Take

by Taimat



Series: Collegestuck [4]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-19
Updated: 2011-10-19
Packaged: 2017-10-24 19:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taimat/pseuds/Taimat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Filling out the Roommate Agreement form.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's a Game of Give and Take

John digs out his sheets from the bottom of the box (because it totally made sense to put like fifty pairs of shoes on top) and makes up his bed. Even though they’ll only be using one of the beds at once, it might be his, sometimes, so he at least needs to have sheets, right? (And does that mean he only has to to wash the sheets half as often?) Besides, they need to keep up appearances and all. It would be weird if everyone thought (knew) they were sleeping together.

Karkat’s already made up his bed. Er, well…he’s unfolded all of his linens and piled them on top.

“That’s not really…”

The troll gives him a look saying that he’s just _daring_ John to say something. John gives it up. Sighing and sidestepping a box, he plops down onto Karkat’s bed, upsetting the pile and sending it tumbling around both of them. Karkat grumbles but doesn’t otherwise complain. Maybe just elbows John a bit harder as they shift to accommodate for each other on the bed.  
“We should at least get this done.”

“That thing is a load of shit, Egbert.”

“But we’re supposed to fill it out and turn it in! Come on, at least help me out so I don’t have to make everything up.”

Karkat huffs and snatches the paper out of John’s hands.

“Our space will be kept neat and clean, or messy? ‘Our space?’ Fuck, we’re not married.”

“We’re living together, though.” Karkat glances up at him, and John tries not to blush too hard. “I mean, technically.”

Karkat checks off ‘in between’ before moving onto the next one.

“Wait, are we even going to talk about this?”

“Does it matter, fuckass? You were going to just make everything up, anyway.”

“But I didn’t want to make everything up! That’s why I wanted you to help me!”

“Look, does it even matter? If something comes up, we’ll just talk about it. Does it really matter what this stupid piece of paper says?”

John’s mouth goes a little dry, and he pulls at one corner of a blanket, trying not to act as flustered as he feels and probably failing. After a moment in which Karkat stares at John and John stares at anything that isn’t him, Karkat pokes at John’s leg with the eraser end of his pencil.

“How often will we clean?” He barely disguises a snort.

John finally looks up at him, eyes flickering down just long enough to read the options. “‘As needed’ sounds good.”

“Way to take the easy way out, Egbert.”

“Learned from the best, Mr. In Between.”

Karkat bares his teeth in what could be a smile before moving on.

In the space of fifteen minutes, they’ve considerably loosened up, what with all the absurd questions about how open they’re going to keep the window, when they can have guests, what’s okay for the other roommate to be doing during study time.

“Hey, Karkat,” John gasps out between giggles, “is it okay for me to use the hair dryer when you’re sleeping?”

“Only if I can choose the ‘appropriate time for sleeping in our room.’”

John laughs and falls back onto the pile. “If it were up to you, it would be never!” When he gets no response from Karkat, he adds, “You know, before we started sleeping together.”

When he does glance over, he finds Karkat’s face torn somewhere between amusement and something he can’t quite name. Amusement wins out when John finally realizes what he said and bursts into giggles all over again. Karkat joins him, throwing the pencil at him for good measure.

“Okay, okay,” the taller boy gasps, breezing the pencil back, even though he had kind of made a deal with himself not to do that too often… “We’re almost done. If leaving for the weekend, will we notify each other or not?”

“Not to sound like one of your lame-ass movies, but when would I leave—” _(and not take you with me)_ “—and not tell you?”

“Fair enough.” John pushes that thought from his head and ticks off the appropriate box. “Last ones. If we hear gossip or negative talk about the other, we will—”

“Kill the motherfucker responsible.”

“Karkat!”

“What?” He slumps a little when John glares at him. “Fine, John. What should we do?”

“Maybe confront the other person? Calmly? No killing or maiming?”

Karkat leans into John’s side, looking down at the yellow piece of paper. “You’re no fun.”

The boy shifts abruptly so that Karkat’s head bounces up and comes crashing back down onto his shoulder. The troll’s response is to growl and sink further against him, his cheek slipping into the crook of John’s elbow, nearly lying in his lap.

“So what do we do if a conflict arises?”

Muddy cherry eyes slant upward to meet blue, and Karkat rolls onto his back. “Same thing we always do?”

“What, snap at each other until we’re both miserable, then come to our senses in a flurry of apologies?” John tries to stay serious, but he can feel his mouth twitching, and he knows that Karkat knows he’s _this_ close to snapping.

So the troll gives him a grin that’s unmistakable. “Or you could admit I’m always right.”

John chuckles and scribbles something into the empty space below before showing it to Karkat.

 _John is a derp and Karkat is always right._

Their laughter rings through the hallway, causing more than one incoming freshman to give the closed door a strange look before continuing on.


End file.
